Vorrichtung und verfahren zur intermittierenden impragnierung und ausgabe von trinkwasser

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method and an associated device for intermittently enriching and dispersing drinking water with gases, particularly CO 2  and/or O 2 , wherein the water is supplied to a mixing device ( 5 ) by means of a miniature pump ( 3 ), particularly an electromagnetic oscillating piston pump with a low supply volume and the greater throughput volume required for the tap process is realized by the gas flowing into the mixing device ( 5 ).

The invention refers to a method and a device for the intermittent enrichment and output of drinking water with gases, in particular CO₂ and/or O₂ according to the preamble of patent claims 1 and 7.

Methods and devices for the enrichment of drinking water with carbon dioxide (CO₂), also known as carbonation, have been part of the prior art for a long time. The principle according to which the carbonators function can be basically divided into two types.

In professional and semi-professional dispensing systems the enrichment is carried out in a pressure vessel, where the level is determined by a corresponding sensor system and is held to approximate a constant level by means of a high pressure pump (e.g. DE 30 38 045). In some cases the water which has been enriched in this manner circulates by means of a further pump additionally via a cooling system. A drawback in this type of carbonation to secure a sufficient water level in the container is however that pump units are required which have a large output. Such high energy pump units, aside from the costly measuring, control and automatic control mechanism, are quite expensive and thus not suitable for private households.

Due to this, lately, so-called “inline carbonators” were developed so private households can enrich drinking water with carbon dioxide through a continuous operation (see WO 2004/024306, PCT/DE01/04128). However, should the water pressure in the water pressure in the respective household be too low or the carbonation is to be carried out without a regular tie-in to the water pipe, then a pressure enhancement pump is likewise required. Since a flowing pressure of about 3 to 4 bar at a flow-through rate of 1 to 2 liter per minute suffices, the technical requirements with this type of carbonation is markedly lower as compared to the classical methods, but still always require additional noticeable additional costs.

Starting from the prior art as afore-described, an object of the present invention is to provide a method, and a corresponding device for the intermittent enrichment of drinking water with gas, especially enrichment with CO₂ and/or O₂, which solves the afore-described drawbacks of the prior art and with which an especially cost efficient or, if possible, an apportioned enrichment and output of smaller water portions can be realized that is thus suitable for private households.

This object is solved by means of a method according to claim 1 and a device according to claim 7. Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

An essential aspect of the process according to the invention is found in that the water is supplied by means of a miniature pump; in particular, an electromagnetic piston pump with a low supply volume, to a mixing device, wherein the required increase of the flow through volume required for the tapping process is realized by gas streaming into the mixing device. In the method according to the invention, the drinking water, drawn from a storage tank by means of a miniature pump, for example, a simple electromagnetic piston pump, whose flow rate is, for example, limited to a few milliliters per second, is thus supplied to the mixing unit. This has the advantage that in case that no tie-in to the water main is desired or not available, according to the method of the present invention, a cost efficient production and output of drinking water enriched, especially with CO₂ and/or O₂ is realized, whereby output can be limited as required to also small amounts or apportioned amounts. Due to the low production cost, an extensive use in private households is expected, similar to the so-called hand/table soda maker which appeared a few years ago on the market.

According to an important aspect of the invention, the flow through amount required for drawing-off water from the tap for quickly filling a drinking cup, is realized by means of the continuous gas pressure adjacent to the mixing device which leads to a corresponding lowering of the water level in the mixing chamber, whereby restoring the water level after the draw-off is again secured through a follow-on running of the miniature pump and controlled by means of a simple time switch, to thus advantageously avoid a labor- and cost intensive level sensor mechanism and level control mechanism according to the prior art to date.

The flow through amount is determined by the adjacent gas pressure and the draw-off geometry and the draw-off amount per draw-off can be also provided by means of a simple time switch, via a magnetic valve.

In a preferred embodiment, the output is coordinated by a flow through volume control which keeps the amount of flow through volume constant and independent from the adjacent pressure, in the same manner as in the water saving devices in sanitary appliances, but also already integrated into magnetic valves that are on the market today. Hereby, cost can be further reduced, since the precision of the pressure reducer provided downstream of the gas storage now no longer determines each of the tapped portions. Moreover, it is also possible to determine the saturation degree of the water through varying the gas pressure.

In a preferred embodiment, the mixing device is provided with a nozzle body for producing possibly a large phase contact surface and a connecting mixing chamber. It was found that a nozzle ring gap and a gas nozzle disposed centrally to the nozzle ring gap were especially suitable, since with this embodiment a good atomization can be realized and additionally a fall film is formed at the walls of the mixing chamber.

A further preferred embodiment of the present invention provides that a cooling unit is assigned to the mixing device, preferably between mixing device and output and by utilizing a thermoelectric cooling, such as for example recited in WO 2006/034829, to thus reduce production cost.

It is furthermore advantageous to provide a filter element at the water storage tank or the water pipe.

Further details and advantages of the invention are explained in the following description of an embodiment from the single FIGURE as herein shown in a simplified block diagram of the device according to the invention.

The exemplary device 1 illustrated in the FIGURE as a schematic block diagram is provided especially for the carbonation and, if applicable, apportioned output of drinking water for the end consumer.

This device comprises a water storage tank 2 from which the water is supplied via a water pipe 4 to a mixing device 5 by means of a miniature pump 3, preferably a magnetic piston pump or a comparable miniature pump.

The device 1 shows additionally a gas storage 6, from which a gas pipe 7 extends to the mixing device 5 via a pressure reducer 8 and nonreturn valve 9.

The mixing device 5 consists of a nozzle body 10 and a mixing chamber 11, wherein the nozzle body 10, for example, is configured as described in the WO 2004/024306. It comprises the nozzle ring gap 12, which is connected with the water supply pipe 4 and a central gas injection nozzle 13, which is connected via the nonreturn valve 9 with gas supply pipe 7.

The enriched water leaves the mixing chamber 11 by way of an outlet which runs directly into the tapping line 15. The tapping line 15 has been assigned a flow rate control 17 and a magnetic valve 18, and the drinking water, if possible, runs through a prior cooling device 16.

The control of device 1 is carried out by means of a switch or key button 19, which is connected with magnetic valve 18 and the miniature pump 3, preferably each via a timer, or timer switch 20, 22. If the switch or key button 19 is activated by the consumer, the magnetic valve 18 in the tapping line 15 opens and the piston pump 3 starts pumping. The streaming gas coming through the gas pipe presses the enriched water from the mixing chamber 11 and the water level in the mixing chamber 11 markedly decreases due to the very small transporting capacity of the miniature piston pump 3, that is, the pressure in the mixing chamber 11 decreases to the value that has been preset at the pressure reducer 8. The volume of the mixing chamber 11 thus corresponds at least to the desired tapping amount per tapping event.

This tapping amount can be determined in easy manner by means of the timer 20 while the flow through volume is held constant by means of the flow through volume controller 17. If, for example with each activation of the key button 19, the cup 21 is to be filled with 200 ml when utilizing a flow through volume controller having a flow through volume of 2 liter per minute, the timer 20 for the magnetic valve 18 is then set for about 6 seconds. In this case, the volume of the mixing chamber 11 should also be dimensioned with at least 200 ml, whereby in that case, the mixing device 5 is filled entirely with carbon dioxide after the automatic tapping process has ended.

The gas pressure at the gas reducer 8 is preferably adjusted or adjustable such that the gas which now fills the mixing device 11 can be completely dissolved through the after running of the miniature pump 3 and results in a “dissolved-concentration” between 4 and 6 gram per liter.

During the after running period, the pressure in the mixing chamber 11 increases again to the maximal delivery pressure of pump 3, whereby the fast dissolution of the gas is supported. The required after running of the miniature pump 3 for the refilling of the mixing chamber 11 can be realized by means of a timer switch 22. After completion of the refilling process the device is again ready for tapping.

The invention has been afore-described by means of an exemplary embodiment. It is understood that numerous modifications and variations are possible without departing from the principle at the basis of the invention.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   -   1 device     -   2 water storage tank     -   3 miniature pump     -   4 water pipe     -   5 mixing device     -   6 gas storage     -   7 gas line     -   8 pressure reducer     -   9 nonreturn valve     -   10 nozzle body     -   11 mixing chamber     -   12 nozzle ring gap     -   13 gas injection nozzle     -   15 tapping line     -   16 cooling device     -   17 Flow through volume control     -   18 magnetic valve     -   19 Key button     -   20 timer     -   21 cup     -   22 timer switch 

1.-16. (canceled)
 17. A method for the intermittent enrichment and output of drinking water with gas, in particular CO₂ and/or O₂ via a mixing device, which supplies gas to drinking water comprising the steps of: supplying the drinking water by means of a miniature pump to the mixing device, enriching the drinking water supplied to the mixing device intermittently with gas that resides in the mixing device, and dispensing the enriched drinking water by means of a tapping process, wherein an increased flow through amount required for the tapping process is realized by the supply of gas into the mixing device.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the miniature pump is an electromagnetic piston pump with a low supply volume.
 19. The method of claim 1, wherein during the tapping process, independent of normal fluctuations of an operating pressure, the increased flow through amount is kept constant by means of a flow through volume control.
 20. The method of claim 19, wherein per tapping process includes timer switch for controlling a magnetic valve by which a constant tapping amount is put out is realized.
 21. The method according to claim 17, wherein after termination of the tapping process, the mixing device is refilled by an after-running of the miniature pump.
 22. The method of claim 20, wherein a suitable water level in the mixing device is secured by the timer switch controlling the magnetic valve and the miniature pump.
 23. The method of claim 17, wherein a saturation degree is adjusted through changing of the gas pressure via a gas reducer.
 24. A device for the intermittent enrichment and output of drinking water with gases; in particular CO₂ and/or O₂, comprising a mixing device with a connection for a supply line of liquid and a connection for a supply line of gas and a connection for a tapping line for drawing the enriched drinking water, and a miniature pump, at the liquid supply line, a nonreturn valve at the gas supply line and a magnetic valve in the tapping line of the mixing device.
 25. The device of claim 24, wherein the miniature pump is, an electromagnetic piston pump.
 26. The device of claim 24, wherein the supply volume of the miniature pump is less than the flow through volume during the tapping process.
 27. The device of claim 24, wherein the tapping line is provided with a flow through volume control for keeping the flow through volume constant.
 28. The device of claim 24, wherein the magnet valve and the miniature pump are controlled via timer switches.
 29. The device of claim 24, wherein in the gas supply line, a pressure reducer is superposed at the nonreturn valve, and adjustable to a change of a saturation degree.
 30. The device of claim 24, wherein the mixing device is provided with a nozzle body for enlarging a phase contact surface, and an adjacent mixing chamber.
 31. The device of claim 30, wherein the nozzle body has a nozzle ring gap and a gas injection nozzle disposed centrally to the nozzle ring gap.
 32. The device of claim 24, further comprising a water supply manually finable and/or via the water line from which the water is supplied to the mixing device by means of the miniature pump via the liquid supply.
 33. The device of claim 32, wherein a filter element is provided for a water storage or the water supply formed by the water supply line.
 34. The device of claim 24, wherein the mixing device is provided with a cooling unit
 35. The device of claim 24, wherein the cooling unit is disposed in the tapping line. 